Canadian tourist Brittney Schneider, 23, returned home Friday after she was charged with vandalism for spray painting graffiti on an ancient wall in northern Thailand. (Brittney Schneider/Facebook) A Grande Prairie, Alta., woman who faced a decade in prison for spray-painting an ancient wall in Thailand has returned home and says she is eager to move on from the ordeal. Brittney Schneider was vacationing in Thailand in October when she was charged with vandalism for her role in spray-painting Tha Pae Gate, the main entrance to the old town of Chiang Mai.…

BANGKOK: Thailand is rolling out plans to legalise medical marijuana, an official told AFP Wednesday (Oct 31), as the country hopes to cash in on a multi-billion dollar industry with a product its supporters hail as some of the world’s best. Several nations have embraced the use of medicinal cannabis, including Canada, Australia, Israel, and more than half the states in the US. Advertisement But Thailand would be the first country in Asia to do so, tapping into a market that US-based Grand View Research has estimated could reach US$55.8…

BANGKOK (THE NATION/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) – Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation (DSI) is seeking to extradite four Singaporeans on the charge of deceiving around 250 victims to trade in a fake firm and lose some 235 million Thai baht (S$9.8 million), a deputy DSI chief said. Police Colonel Songsak Raksaksakul, deputy DSI director-general, said the department is seeking co-operation from Singapore to extradite the four alleged masterminds of the Eagle Gates share-trading scam. Mr Songsak said DSI officers on Wednesday (Aug 22) obtained the Criminal Court’s approval to extend the…

Thailand is a new dumping ground for scrap electronics from around the world, say police and environmentalists, the latest country to feel the impact of China’s crackdown on imports of high-tech trash. Police at Laem Chabang port, south of Bangkok, showed on Tuesday seven shipping containers each packed with about 22 tonnes of discarded electronics, including crushed game consoles, computer boards and bags of scrap materials. Electronic refuse, or e-waste, is turning up from Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan, police said, some of it imported by companies without the required…

Malaysian authorities have tightened the border with Thailand after 200 people with dual nationality allegedly sold their votes in Northern Kelantan to cast ballots in today’s general election. Security officials were seen patrolling the boundary and checkpoints in Kelantan, which is opposite Narathiwat’s Sugnai Kolok district. People are allowed to pass into Malaysia at only two of the eight checkpoints along the border at that location, Thai authorities say. The 200 dual nationals were deported back to Thailand after they were caught taking 50 Ringgit (Bt 400, S$16.82) each for voting,…

The Royal Thai Consulate-General in Penang has announced changes to its acceptance and delivery of visas. Penang, Malaysia, has been a popular destination for expats and tourists to head to, particularly from Phuket. There is an entire visa-run industry heading out of the island each day heading for Penang with hotels, restaurants and taxis all ready for the daily hordes seeking visas to extend their stay or convert to Non Immigrant visas for a longer stay in the Kingdom. The van trip can take around 10 hours. Just recently Air…

Phuket is an island and a province. It’s the largest island in Thailand – 48 km north to south, 21 km east to west. It’s about 20% smaller, in area, than Singapore but much less densely populated. Whilst the island nation of Singapore boasts a population of nearly 6 million, Phuket has a permanent population of around 400-450,000 (but varies a lot with the influx of tourists and a workforce that is always changing). Most of Phuket remains jungle and tropical rainforest despite an acceleration of development over the past…

Clubers test positive for drugs Forty-five pub-goers tested positive for drugs following a police raid on a popular nightspot off Sukhumvit Road in Watthana district of Bangkok early Saturday. Officers raided Narz pub on Sukhumvit Soi 23 at around 1am following complains by local residents that it often stayed open beyond legal operating hours. About 80 patrons, most of them in their twenties, were inside when the raid took place. All were asked to undergo urine tests and 45 of them — 29 men and 16 women — tested positive…

Koh Chang is rife with wonderful unspoiled nature and the locals’ undisturbed ways of life. Well-suited for everyone in the family, waterfalls are among the most popular attractions on the island. The Shrine of Chao Por Koh Chang, the most revered shrine, is believed to bring peace and good luck to the people on the island. Kids will love the wonderment of the illuminating fireflies in the mangrove area of the island. If you want to see how the locals go about their daily routines, make sure to visit one…

Malaysia police are tracking down four men linked to Islamic State, including Awae Wae-Eya, who is second from the right. (Images: Royal Malaysia Police) KUALA LUMPUR: A former member of southern Thailand’s separatist movement, Awae Wae-Eya, 37, is planning to establish an Islamic State (IS) presence in his country with the hope of securing funds from the global terror group to fund his “jihad”, a senior Malaysian security source has told Channel NewsAsia. Southern Thailand’s insurgents have so far eschewed transnational extremist groups, including IS, and its radical teachings as their struggle is…